Women’s field hockey team to depart for Irish Tour

January 5, 2009

The Canadian National Women’s Field Hockey team will travel to Dublin, Ireland January 9 – 19th for a series of test matches versus the Irish. The tour is in preparation for the 2009 Pan American Cup taking place in Bermuda in early February.
“It is a new beginning. With all the retirements, we have seven new faces with a cap (international game) average of 25. The players and staff are looking forward to competing after many months of training,” says head coach Louis Mendonca (Thornhill, ON). “I am confident the team will bring grit, heart, and passion to every match they compete in. It is very important we retain the lessons learnt, to ensure our preparation for the Pan Am Cup in on track.”

The last competition for the Canadian women was a fourth-place finish at May’s Olympic Qualifying tournament held on home soil in Victoria, British Columbia. The Irish edged Canada 2-1 in the bronze medal game.

Following that event several veteran athletes chose to retire leaving behind a much younger squad.